A Quick Guide to the PlayStation 4 Launch, Including the Games Lineup

We now know pretty much all we need to about Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4 launch: It’ll be here in mid-November (before Thanksgiving), it costs $100 less than Microsoft’s Xbox One (and $50 more than a Deluxe Wii U) and it looks more or less like a trapezoidal PS2. Here’s more: When can I pick one up? November 15 in North America and November 29 in Europe, Australia and Latin America. Other regional launch dates, say in Japan, have yet to be divulged. How much will it cost? $399 for the only version announced so far (model number CUH-1000A). How much will games cost? By all accounts, games will average what they did last generation: $60 for mainstream titles, less for indie stuff, more — typically a lot more – for souped-up limited editions. Specs, please? The launch model comes with a 500GB user-upgradeable hard drive (Sony notes some of that space is used for system files), 8GB system memory, a Blu-ray drive, a custom AMD APU (CPU and GPU combined) reportedly designed to streamline game development, optical and HDMI outputs, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, an up to 1000BASE-T Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, a port for the PlayStation Camera, a DualShock 4 controller (with USB cable), a mono headset, an HDMI cable and the power cord. How about its dimensions? Important for entertainment center detail wonks, though if you’re planning to cram this beast into a tiny ventilation-challenged space, well, I certainly wouldn’t: 10.7 inches wide by 2.1 inches high by 12 inches long, and it weighs about 6.2 pounds. When can I preorder one? It seems that ship may have sailed: While vendors will be more than happy to take your money today, most (if not all) stopped guaranteeing day-one availability in early August. Sony claimed during its Gamescom presser that it’s already pre-sold one million PS4s — more than the total number of PS3s the company sold at that system’s launch back in 2006. That said, I got an email yesterday from a well-known vendor claiming the console was back in